Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware will become the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and will serve first openly transgender work in Congress.

McBride easily defeated Republican John Whalen III on Tuesday in the race for Delaware’s lone House seat. Whalen is a former construction company owner and former state trooper who ran a meager campaign in his first bid for public office.

Meanwhile, McBride gained a national profile as an LGBTQ activist and raised more than $3 million in campaign donations from across the country. She achieved national recognition at the 2016 Democratic National Convention as the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party convention in the United States.

FILE - LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride speaks on the last day of the Democratic Party... — FILE – LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride speaks on the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 28, 2016.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

After easily winning the Democratic primary in September, McBride said she was running for Congress not to make history, but instead “to achieve historic progress for Delawareans.”

As a state senator, McBride earned a reputation for working on health care issues, including successfully sponsoring legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program. McBride also sponsored legislation to address Medicaid reimbursement for home health services and expand access to dental care for low-income Delawareans. Another bill she sponsored would impose a 3.58% tax on the net income of Delaware hospitals as a way to attract additional federal Medicaid funds. All these measures were enshrined in law.

Democrats have held the Delaware House seat since 2010. The seat remained open last year after Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by fellow Democrat Tom Carper.